Stuart Broad is confident England will carry no mental scars into their ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight match against West Indies.

Stuart Broad is confident England will carry no mental scars into their ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight match against West Indies.

The captain himself is sporting a cut in the middle of his forehead, after a swimming-pool collision with Tim Bresnan and the Yorkshireman’s bulky watch at the team hotel.

But Broad is satisfied his will be the only wound, figurative or otherwise, worn by England today – despite their hapless performance against spin in Sunday’s record 90-run defeat against India in Colombo.

He and his team-mates at least came through a practice session safely, as they got their first glimpse of new surroundings at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

West Indies have their own ‘trump card’, when it comes to slow bowlers, captain Darren Sammy describing Harbhajan’s fellow off-spinner Sunil Narine as such.

Broad, however, retains faith in his batting team-mates – who have been prescribed words of encouragement rather than a technical overhaul since their 80 all out at the Premadasa Stadium. “It’s all mental,” he said.

“It is important to get back into the nets and start feeling like hitting the ball again.

“It is all a mental state of mind and reminding (ourselves) that we are good players who have performed consistently.”

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